Building Friendships
by FalkeJ
Summary: One horrifying event causes an unlikely friendship to form from the team...secrets are revealed.
1. Bad day, bad news

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the CSI characters or anything about them or this show.  
although I wish that I did! 

Building Friendships

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Nick Stokes rolled over in his bed barely lifting one of his eyelids open to peer at the time. It was 10:17 a.m. It seemed like every morning at this time his newly moved in newlywed neighbors would start fighting.

It was amazing to him how concrete and drywall could seem like only thin sheets of paper between them. Nick grabbed his pillow and tried covering his ears as the yelling continued.  
In the midst of him being pissed off though, he sort of felt sorry for the wife. He had suspected for quite sometime now that maybe she had been being abused, but he never knew what to say or what to ask her.

Nick finally sat up in his bed and walked over to his night stand. He began tossing things side to side and spilling them over the edge in a desperate search for something. His hands came across the tiny orange miracles and he smiled to himself as he pulled the earplugs out of the drawer.

He put one in and almost had his hand up to the second ear when the gunshots went off "BANG!BANG!". Nick grabbed his basketball shorts off the floor and threw them on while half running towards his front door. He could hear some people screaming out in the hallway. With no shoes and no shirt he grabbed his gun off the stand in the foyer and checked his clip to make sure it was full. Snapping it back into place and loading one round in, he flung open his front door.

He was pretty sure that the shots came from inside the apartment next door, but there was no reasy not to be careful. He looked both ways in the hall to make sure everything was clear and then approached two other neighbors who were huddled on the floor.

"I'm Nick Stokes with the Las Vegas Crime Lab... are you guys hurt?"

"No... no..." an elderly lady replied shaking

"well then why don't you and this nice young lady here get to your apartment as quick as you can and call the police for me ... can you do that?" Nick asked looking kindly down at the two women.

"yess...yessir .. we can do that."

"Good... now hurry up... tell them that there were two gunshots fired and that there is an officer on the scene..got it?"

"Got it!"

With that the two ladies jumped up to their feet and ran four doors down to their apartment. Nick made his way back across the hallway and crouched down by his neighbors door. He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe, hoping he wasn't getting himself into anything that he couldn't handle. But he knew that his neighbor might need help and being a law enforcement officer, he couldn't just sit there and do nothing.

He tried banging on the door first to see if he would get any kind of response, like maybe a gunshot through the front of it.  
Standing off to the side he slammed his fist repeatdly.

"Mrs. Campbell!... Mr. Campbell! ... if you can hear me in there... this is the Las Vegas Police... open up the door!"

After standing there for a minute... Nick knew he probably wasn't going to get any kind of response. "Well.. here goes nothing..." he thought out loud to himself, and in one swift motion he placed himself in the middle of the hall and landed a blunt and forceful kick right below the door handle.

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BACK AT THE STATION...

"Jim.. I just don't know, I can't give you a yes or no answer right now, I'm loaded down with my cases, sarah is out on leave, and I just can't commit to what you're asking me" Gil looked up at the detective from his pile of papers.

"Gil, believe me... I work with you guys, I understand you're busy... but this kid is a family friend and it would really be in his good interest if you could testify for him... please Gil, i'm asking for one afternoon. Can't you get Eckly to take over or something?" Brass looked thoughtfully down at the senior CSI.

"Okay... only because i'm covering Eckly's day shift today... so he owes me one..."

"Thanks Gil... I owe ya o..." Brass was cut off by his phone as Gil looked down at his pager at the same time.

"ugh huh... thanks" Brass flipped his cell phone shut. "looks like we've got a shooting, probably a dead body on our hands,  
you rolling?" He looked at Grissom who had just finished reading his pager.

"Looks that way partner... see you there."

Brass left the office. Grissom grabbed his glasses off of his desk and headed out of the door as well. In the hallway he ran into Warrick.

"Hey Warrick, what are you doing here?" Grissom questioned knowing that his shift was still several hours away.

"Ugh.. I had to testify at the Manning trial today, brutal stuff... let me tell ya. anyway I had nothing to do today,  
couldn't get ahold of Nicky or Greg, so I came in here to work on a pile of paperwork that I need done before the next shift starts."

"sounds fun... well i'm rolling by myself to a 419 .. you wanna join me?"

"Yea sure...let me grab my vest and I'll meet you out front.. you driving?"

"yep, I'll pick you up."

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The front hall was empty as the broken door swung violently in. Nick had his gun held up and ready to fire. He plastered his body up against the wall and slowly started making his way into the apartment.

"Mrs. Campbell?... Mr. Campbell? ... this is the Las Vegas Police... why don't you come out and give it up?" Nick really didn't know what he was expecting to happen saying that, or even if he would be prepared if anything did happen. Stopping suddenly just three feet away from his turn into the apartment, Mrs. Campbell came crawling out on her knee's and stopped in the end corner of the hallway.

She only had a tank top and some booty shorts on and Nick couldn't see any weapons, so he lowered his weapon slightly,  
knowing she might be afraid of him.

"Mrs. Campbell?" Nick looked down at her with understanding eyes.

"He... he... he's d-d-dead..." She lifted a shaking hand to her face to cover her mouth as her sobbing burst out into a howling cry.

Nick wanted nothing more than to drop to his knee's and rap his arms around her, but he knew that was the last thing to do right now.

"Mrs. Campbell... listen to me.. I need you to answer me.. who's dead...and who killed him?"

"M-m-my husband.. he he...'s dead..."Her shaking became more severe.

"Mrs. Campbell... did you kill him? I need to know who has the gun?"

"my br--brother... he.. he's in the bedroom."

Nick pulled his gun back into firing aim and stepped in front of Mrs. Campbell, placing himself inside of the apartment.  
The door to the bedroom was shut and he saw no one else around. He began to relax his gun a little, when suddenly the handle on the bedroom door turned and was swung open.

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"So where is this 419 anyway Griss?" Warrick asked noting that he knew the neighborhood fairly well that they were driving in.

"umm..." Grissom looked down at his sheet "It's in 'Eden Garden's' subdivision .. umm.. apartment 110."

Grissom waited a second and didn't get a response from Warrick.

"Warrick? are you alright... do you know who lives there?..." Grissom was trying to read the expression on his teamates face

"ugh.. yea... I mean .. no... no I don't know who lives in 110... but ughh ..."

"But what?" Grissom was becoming impatient as Warrick quietly replied

"Nicky's in 109..." He rubbed his forehead and looked down

"What!" Grissom drew in a deep breathe and clenched his jaw "Try calling him and see if you can get him.."

"Yea... right.." Warrick quickly drew out his cell phone and his 5 on his speed dial.

"So?" Grissom asked impatiently

"It's still ringing..." Warrick looked out at the passing building as he heard the last ring and Nick's voicemail come on.  
He quickly shut the phone. "Dammit.."

"I'm guessing he didn't pick up."

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Nick was trying to mentally prepare himself for whatever was going to come out of that door. And he was also trying to let himself know the reality that he might have to shoot whoever it was.

His heart almost broke into shattered pieces when he saw a young boy, no older than 17 or 18 emerge with a red and tear stained face holding two 9mm's loosley down at his sides.

"I'...m s-s-sssorry..." The young boy was crying loudly "He shouldn'ta done it... he shouldnt've put his stinkin hands on my sister!" The boy's sadness was mixed with fear and anger. Nick figured he would be able to talk the kid into putting the gun down.

"Yea... I know... he was a bad man for doing those things..." Nick slowly started to lower his gun and saw the boy's tension ease a little bit

"He had no right!" the boy screamed

"No... nobody has the right to do that, he should be punished for what he did.."

"He is! I KILLED HIM!! ... I-I... killed.. him" Nick could see the reality of it beginning to sink into the young man as he couldn't fight back his second round of tears.

"It's okay, we all do things sometimes that we go too far on, accidents happen... its okay though... why don't you set down the guns and you and me just sit down and talk about this?"

Nick was slowly placing his gun on a table that was between the two of them.

"O-Okay... sh-sh sure..."

Just as the boy was giving in and reaching out his hands to set the gun down, Brass and his whole ensemble of cops busted into the house.

All the screaming and the guns waving around scared him back into his psychotic frenzy. He quickly pulled both guns up and held one on either side of Nicks head as he had turned around when all of the commotion started.

Brass looked into Nick's eyes which now held indescribable amounts of fear, and could see the CSI's hands shaking as he stood there.

"Look Kid, you're already in enough trouble...you don't want to kill a cop... so why don't you just put the guns down and let him go." Brass said as he had his weapon aimed right between the kids eyes.

"NO!... you'll just drag me off to prison... I didn't do nothing wrong... he deserved to die!" The kids voice was escalating and you could hear the fearless anger in his words.

Nick closed his eyes and swallowed hard as he stood shirtless and shoeless in his shorts quaking at the knee's.

"Nick, just stay with us buddy..." Brass looked him in the eye and Nick shook his head. "Come on kid, we don't got all day,  
just give it up before you get yourself killed!"

"SCREW YOU!" With that final scream the kid nailed Nick in the back with a forceful kick, shoving him away, and as Nick flew forward into the cops the last thing he heard were two shots.

Brass and every other officer standing in the room unloaded their clips into the kid and watched as the blood flung out of the young mans body and he hit the floor.

"Nicky!" Brass yelled but Nick had already gotten up and had run out of the apartment. "Was he hit?" Brass asked the other officer.

"The bullets landed in the wall over there sir... there's a little blood on the floor, but I'm not sure he really got him?"

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Nick's head was throbbing a thousand beats per minute. His world was getting a little dizzy. Bystanders stood back and yelled things at him as he made his way to the street. All he could hear was the most painful penetrating high pitch screams in his ears. He couldn't hear anything! what happened!

His heart began to race as he stumbled out into the street. Blood dripping down from his head onto his bare chest and stomach.

Grissom had just turned the corner when he slammed hard on his brakes making Warrick grab the dash to stop himself from hitting it, but not hard enough from keeping him from smacking into a delirious Nick.

"Oh God.." was all that Grissom managed to get out as he shoved the vehicle into park mode.

Nick swayed in front of the car and slowly collapsed to the ground. Warrick threw open the car door and ran out.

"Nicky!" he shouted in an attempt to get his attention.

Nick didn't look up though.

"Is he shot?" They heard Brass yell as he came running from the front lawn of the apartments.

"I don't know yet...Griss hit him with the car though" Warrick screamed back as he kneeled down beside his friend.  
"God Nicky.. what'd you do?" he asked himself as he looked down at his friend.

Grissom was already on the phone calling in an ambulance. He quickly was finished and ran to Nick's side.

Nick looked up from where he had fallen. He could still only hear the screaching death in his ears. He watched Warricks mouth moving and Grissoms moving and let tears fall from his eyes... he couldn't hear them.

"NOO!!... NO-ooo.." Nick screamed and began grabbing at Grissom and Warrick and tears fell from his eyes.

"What's wrong with him Griss?" Warrick looked to his boss for guidance as he held onto his friend and pulled him tightly in.

"I don't know.."

Nicks heart began to race faster than ever, his world began to go black. His eyes closed and he gave into the darkness that was calling him in.

Just as he lost conciousness the ambulance arrived. Warrick and Grissom stood up to give the paramedics room to work and went to Brass to find out what happened.

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Gil Grissom walked swiftly into the emergency room doors. It was now 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The last he had heard was that Nick was still in surgery. Catherine was called had gone to the hospital to sit with Warrick and Greg reported in early to Grissom to help him process the scene.

Grissom and Greg had just finished up and were now stopping by to see how everything was going.

Catherine looked up from where she was leaning against the wall. Grissom smiled at her as he approached. Catherine held her finger up to her lips in the 'shh' position. Grissom looked down beside her to see Warrick fast asleep. He walked over and whispered to her.

"How's Nicky?"

"He's doing well. They just took him out of surgery about 45 minutes ago. We don't know the damage yet, just that he's stable and in recovery, the doctor should be out here soon."

Greg was standing over Grissoms shoulder listening intently when Grissom turned around and squinted his eyebrow's at him.

"What?... I got rights to know this stuff!" Greg said like he was slightly offended

"Is there anyone here for a Nick Stokes?" A young blonde nurse called out from the hall.

"Yes.." Grissom spoke and held up a hand as Warrick came to and they all walked over to her.

"Okay then.. follow me please." she said with a smile.

with that the nurse took off down the hallway looking at her charts and having the CSI team close on her heals.

"We'll just take those elevators off to the left here and go up to the third floor."

They all piled in and rode in silence. The nurse stepped off on the third floor, made a quick right, and then stopped right outside of room 312. There was a tall dark man wearing a white coat and writing orders for a nurse that was standing in front of him.

"Dr. Levi, these are the family and friends of Nick Stokes here to see him." she nodded at the doctor and the CSI's and left

Grissom was the first to step forward and shake the doctors hand.

"Thank you for all you've done for him... can you tell us how he is?"

"He's stable and his condition is recoverable ...for the most part. .. he has several broken ribs and had a ruptured spleen from what looks like a blunt force hit to his left side..." Grissom hit his hand knowing that was from him. The doctor looked at Grissom briefly and continued "He had a slight fracture to his femur that we had to set and cast... and he had a few stitches that were needed in his ears..."

"so why is that only recoverable for 'the most part'" Grissom asked with concern

"Yea.. whats the deal?" Warrick stepped up and looked at the Doctor intently.

"Well we got as much information as we could from a..." Dr. Levi looked down at his charts "a detective Brass... apparently Mr. Stokes was in between the criminal's two guns when the shots were fired... and they were fired right beside his ears.  
thats why he had blood on him at the scene and why he had to get a few stitches in his ears... we took x-rays and M.R.I's and there has been some extensive damage done to the eardrum... and it's in our professional opinion at this time that his ears could really go either way.. he may gain hearing back in a few days.. .or it could be a permanent loss."

"What?" Warrick shook his head as he closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Grissom leaned over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you all this news... I really am. It's important you all do understand one thing though, this is going to be a tough recovery for him, and possibly a tough rest of his life. what he's going to need the most now is your support and understanding of his new condition. He'll probably get angry a lot because no one else can understand his situation, just stick with him though and he'll learn to cope with it."

Grissom had a slight smile escape on his face... 'I'll get you through this Nicky' ... he thought to himself

"Can we see him?" Catherine spoke up.

"I'm afraid you all won't be able to see him until tomorrow. We have a hearing specialist coming in who is going to teach him how to use a computer device for communicating. That should be tomorrow morning about about ten o'clock. I would say you all can come back at around noon to see him."

"Thank you Doctor." With that Grissom shook his hand again and rounded his team up to head out. Knowing that none of them really wanted to leave, but that the best thing was that they did.

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OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL..

Warrick sat on the bench outside of the emergency room doors staring off into the night. He placed his head in his hands.  
Grissom, catherine, and Greg just looked at him, and finally Grissom walked over.

"Hey, why don't you take the rest of the night off. I don't think we'll be all that busy... and you could use the rest."

"Yea... okay... thanks" Warrick turned to Grissom and shook his hand.

"Allright guys lets get back to the lab, i'm sure we've had some cases come in, in the last few hours. Let's go!"

Warrick called a cab since he had left his car at the lab earlier. The cab pulled up and he hopped in.

"Where to friend?" The cabby asked

"Take me to the 'V' bar down near swank boulevard" Warrick answered as he lounged in the back seat

"The 'V' bar it is friend." The Cabby smiled and drove off into the night...

--To Be Continued

I hope you all have enjoyed this first part... please leave me some reviews so i can know how i'm doing! thanks! and I hope to have some more up soon!


	2. Helpless

Chapter 2 : Helpless 

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Catherine, Greg, and Grissom got back to the station to find two new cases waiting for them.

"Okay guys, I've got to go pick sarah up from the airport, so I'm going to split the two of you up, Greg make sure you know what you're doing since I'm sending you in alone. If you have any questions you be sure to call me got it?"

"Got it Griss."

With that Grissom handed his two CSI's their cases and left to go get Sarah who was coming in on the red eye flight.

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The planes roared overhead as Gil Grissom stood in the cool summer night air leaning against his car. He was staring off into the stars and thinking about his fallen comrade. He knew in his heart how much Nick meant to him, he was like a son in his eyes, and it hurt him deeply that he didn't know what to do. He would see him tomorrow afternoon.. but what would he say?

Gil rubbed the bridge of his nose and let his forehead rest in his hand.

Sarah had just exited the terminal and was looking around to spot Grissom. She finally caught a glimpse of what she thought was his car, but she couldn't see the drivers face. She shrugged to herself and walked over to see if it was him.

"Griss?" Sarah reached a hand out and put it on his shoulder.

"Oh... Hey!" Grissom pulled his face out of hiding and gave sarah a hug. "How was your flight?"

"Good... how are you holdin up?"

"Hmm.." Gil looked at her not sure of her question.

"How are you handling the whole Nicky situation?"

"oh... that... well lets get you into the car and we can talk more on the way back to your house."

"My house! Nicky's out, you've probably got Catherine and Greg and Warrick workin their tales off... take me to the lab, I've got the time to spare."

"okay, that works too... and actually it will be nice, because we are really out two CSI's ... Warrick went home earlier."

"Is he alright?"

"Yea, just taking everything with Nick a little hard I think."

"Yea... I don't think he's the only one."

Grissom gave Sarah his raised eyebrow and she just smiled back at him as he turned the ignition in the car and they drove off into the night.

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"Hey you!" the large brown haired man called from the bar counter as a young girl in her twenties turned around and pointed at herself. "Yea you.." The man waved her over.

"Yes?" The girl stood about a foot and a half away from the man and could strongly smell the whisky on his breathe.

"why don't you and me go back to my place? you know.." He reached out and grabbed ahold of her arm.

"get away!" she screamed and tried to pull away.

"Hey!... get the hell away from her!" The tall dark man who had been quietly hunched in the corner of the bar stood to his feet.

"Hey buddy why don't you butt outta this and go back to ya binge drinkin ova there."

Warrick Brown continued walking until he was face to face with the young girl.

"you know him?" Warrick asked as the girl frightendly shook her head no.

"Let her go.." He grabbed the man's grip from her elbow and twisted his arm back.

The man suddenly stood up and jerked his arm back.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are buddy, but you aint got no right to..."

'POW!' Warrick landed a punch right into the mans jaw. Unluckily it didn't knock the man down and grabbed Warrick at his shoulders and tackeled him down to the floor.

Warrick managed to roll him over and punch him in the face again. This time giving the man enough of a stun so that he could get up off the floor. Once standing Warrick began landing kick after kick into the man's side. He couldn't even tell if the man was conciouse or not anymore. His drunk mind began to swim around and he didn't even realize that he was being taken down to the floor by several other bystanders.

The bartender was already on the phone with 9-1-1 and having medical units and police dispatched to the bar.

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Grissom was in the middle of talking to Sarah when his phone went off.

"Excuse me while I take this...Hello"

Jim Brass was on the other line...

"Hey Griss, I know you're with Sarah but we've got an officer involved assault down at the V-bar, Chief wants our top CSI on it."

"Yea... okay." Grissom closed his phone and looked over to Sarah.

"You don't mind hitting up a call with me do you?"

"Not at all... it's what I do." She smiled at him and flipped the radio on.

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He could feel his heart pounding inside of his chest. Why was everything black? But most of all, why was everything silent?  
He felt a warm hand touch his arm. He wanted to open his eyes, but who was it? He couldn't hear anything. Thinking, thinking trying to remember what had happened...flash he saw Mrs. Campbell his next door neighbor on the floor... what was she doing she was crying...flash he looked down and saw a gun in his hands... did he kill someone?... his heart pounded faster.  
flash He saw a young man with two 9mm's crying and screaming and waving his guns around... was he dead? flash he felt the jolting kick in his back, saw the officers eyes as he flew forward and heard the deafening gunshots... what happened? flash he was running into the street, he pulled his hands away from his ears and see's the blood, he see's all the people their mouths are moving but all he hears is the screaching scream inside of his head... the street... the car... was I hit?  
flash I'm down... lying down on the pavement... my body is crying out in pain... Warrick is holding me... Grissom is in the distance ... he's moving his lips but I can't hear... Grissom moves closer, he moves his lips but I can't hear... am I DEAF? I AM DEAF? WHAT HAPPENED! I'm screaming out but can anyone hear, will I even know... I'm crying .. I'm sobbing craddled in the arms of my friend as the darkness begins to consume me... let this be a dream..oh God let this be a dream!

"NOOOOOO!!!!" Nick jolted up in his bed regretting it as the pain ripped through his broken body. His heart monitor was jumping off the charts.

The nurse in the room with him looked like she was screaming for help... his eye's widened... it wasn't a dream... he couldn't hear her.

He grabbed her arm as the doctor came in through the door, he was saying something... word after word shouting orders it seemed. Nick saw the needle. He felt the sting...and slowly his eye's closed back into sleep, back to his nightmare... which was no longer dream, but reality.

---- I hope to have more up soon... keep up the reviews so i can know how I'm doing.


	3. The Visiting Hours

The Visiting Hours

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Grissom didn't like the look on Brass's face as he pulled up outside of the 'V' club. And then he dually noted why as he looked over into the opened back of the ambulance doors to see CSI Warrick Brown holding an ice pack up to his face. Grissom just sighed as he noticed Sarah shaking her head and looking at him.

"Hey Gil..." Brass motioned for him to come over. 

Grissom walked with a concern and a notion of dissaproval on his face over to Jim with Sarah following close on his heels.

"So you know what happened yet?" Grissom asked before Brass could get a word out.

"Well apparantely this nice young girl (Brass pointed over to the squad car) was being assaulted by one of our suspects, who mind you just left for the hospital because our hero and friend over there (Brass points to the ambulance)  
stepped in to save the day. Which normally I would have no problem with.."

"Normally?" Sarah interjected her own thought

"Yes.. normally... it would've been alright if Warrick had just hit him once, but the bar tender and other witnesses say that Warrick was kicking him once he was down on the ground and yelling something about how abusive people and abusive relationships just take away other people's lives... when I heard that I could only guess that he was talking about what happened with Nick this morning... not to mention he's had a couple drinks if you know what I mean."

"Yea... depression and alcohol can sometimes be a lethal combination." Grissom just bit his bottom lip and shook his head.

"So what's going to happen?" Sarah piped up as she stood with a raised eyebrow and hands on her hips.

"Well... that's actually another story in itself.." Both Grissom and Sarah just looked at Brass when he said this. "You see this dame was so grateful to Warrick that she didn't want him to get into any trouble. So she goes to her assailant before they took him to the hospital and said she wouldn't press any charges if he didn't press any charges to Warrick, so he agreed and they dropped the whole thing."

"So in other words we don't need to be here then." Sarah smiled and nodded

"Other than the fact I think someone should talk with Warrick and give him a ride back home, I guess you guys are free to go"  
Brass gave a half smile and left to continue wrapping things up.

Sarah and Grissom turned around to see Warrick looking upset with his head down in his hands.

"Sarah why don't you go wait in the car for a few minutes and I'll go have a chat with our friend.."

"Yea... I was thinking the same thing." Sarah smiled and gave Grissom a good luck pat on the shoulder as she turned and went back to the car.

Grissom gave his neck a nice stretch, cleared his throat, and stuck his hands into his pants pockets as he casually walked over to the back of the ambulance.

Warrick heard someone coming and looked up, only to feel the shame in himself and look back down.

"Look Griss... I know I screwed up... I screwed up big...I-I don't know what I was thinking ... I was just...I was thinkin bout' Nicky ... and it's just not... it's not FAIR!" Warrick could feel tears behind his eyes as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I know it's not... people like that really don't deserve to be in a civil society.. I understand why you did what you did and it's okay, sometimes we all let our emotions get a hold of us... but just look on the bright side.. Nicky's alive and well and you'll get to see him again.. he's not gone and we can at least hold onto that."

"Yea.. thanks."

"Now lets get you home so you can have some rest and look half way decent when you see Nick tomorrow."

"Yea.. agreed" Warrick let a weak smile cross his lips and hopped off his seat on the ambulance to follow Grissom to his car.

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10:00 AM Desert Springs Hospital Las Vegas, NV

The doctor ran down the hallway as he heard another tray being smashed against the wall inside of room 312. He flung the door open to see a red faced infuriated Nick Stokes sitting up in bed.

"Doctor." Dr. Levi nodded his head at their hearing specialist Dr. Nordeum who was standing near the window and near the tray of thrown breakfast.

"I take it you too aren't getting along?" Dr. Levi asked Nordeum

"Oh no.. I taught Mr. Stokes how to use the device.. it's just that I think everything is beginning to sink in for the young man."

The two doctors continued to speak back and forth. Nick was looking frantically from one mouth to the next, his tension rising with each purse of their lips and flip of the tongue.

"SHUT UP!!..JUST SHUT UP! I already can't hear if you're gonna talk about me do it somewhere else."

With that outburst the doctors decided to exit and leave Nick alone to let things sink in for him.

As soon as the last foot was out the door and it latched shut Nick slammed his head back into his pillow and let the tears begin to fall. He was sobbing, he knew he was ... he just couldn't hear himself. All he could do was cry out and pound his fists into the bedding on either side of him.

Eventually he had used up his strength and shut his eyes to rest.

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Warrick rode in silence with his boss to the hospital. Grissom had picked him up and early and taken him to breakfast and now they were on their way to see Nick.

Grissom pulled his car into the parking garage at the hospital, hit the brakes, put it in park, and turned off the ignition.  
He had just opened the door and was about to step out when he felt a hand grab his arm and stop him. He took back his seat and turned to Warrick who looked a little teary eyed.

In a soft and weakend voice Warrick spoke to him.

"Griss... I'm no good at this... I'm not going to know what to say, I mean what do I tell him? I don't even know what'll happen to me when I see him lying there... I know he's gotta be angry or upset... I just.. I don't know what to say.." Warrick looked over to his supervisor for comfort or words of wisdom.. anything would do.

"Just say what's on your heart... don't be afraid to let him know how much you care for him, and offer him as much reassurance as you possibly can, because what he needs most is going to be for him to be lifted up." Grissom smiled at Warrick who returned one back and they both exited the car and made their way in.

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Desert Springs Hospital Las Vegas, NV

Warrick and Grissom looked down the long hallway to see Catherine and Sarah up against the wall outside of Nick's room. Each with a tissue in hand and wiping tears away from their faces.

"Don't worry..." Sarah said between sniffle's "We didn't cry in front of Nicky... but we lost it once we got out." Sarah sort of let a light chuckle out and Catherine did too as they continued wiping their smeared make-up away.

"Warrick.. why don't you go first.." Warrick nodded toward the door and Warrick accepted the offer.

He opened the door slowly and shut it carefully behind him. He kicked himself on the inside knowing that the noise wouldnt've bothered Nick either way.

Nick had been looking to his left and staring out into the sun beating in through his window, when the shadowy figure of his best friend stood in the way of his view.

It was probably the first smile all day that the young Texan had let escape from his lips. Warrick moved to the side of his bed and put his hand up for a shake, only to find himself being pulled in for an unexpected hug.

As Warrick grasped his buddy's shoulder in a clenching hug he could feel Nick releasing some of his pain into his t-shirt.

"Sorry man..." Nick sniffed in and wiped away his eyes as he let go and lay back in the bed.

"Its okay.."Warrick said... but Nick threw up his hand and reached over and grabbed what looked like an extremely large cell phone off of his night stand.

"This lets me see what you say" Nick smiled and turned it on... motioning for Warrick to speak into the mic.

After holding it out for a moment... he didn't get a response. Nick sort of squinted his eyebrows together in a look of concern on his face.

"I'm sorry..." Warrick finally spit out.

Nick smiled as he saw his lips move and looked expectantly at his screen. Nick just shook his head in acknowledgement and grabbed his friends hand.

"Yea... me too.." Nick said weakly as if he'd given up hope and let a tear fall down his cheek.

Warrick couldn't hold his own in that well as one escaped out of his own eye.

"You know... you're gonna make it through this right... you're gonna get better and you'll hear better than you ever did.  
you'll even be able to listen to that sorry ass country that you call music..." Warrick smiled through his tears and let out a light chuckle as Nick read the screen and let a smile escape as well.

"Well I gotta go Nicky... they only gave each of us a few minutes to come in here and talk to you... said you need your rest"

Nick shook his head in understanding and grabbed Warricks hand in a moments embrace before he turned and walked out of the room.

Once in the hall everyone else flocked around him.

"So how'd it go?" Catherine asked still stuffy nosed from her crying.

"It was good... I got em' to smile a little.. I think he'll be alright." Warrick smiled and walked toward the elevators. "I'm just gonna go outside and wait for you Griss."

"Okay."Grissom replied as he turned and went into Nick's room.

The young man was once again staring off into the morning sun. Probably because it was the only life that he could feel inside of his hospital bed. He noticed another shadow creeping into his room, and doing the deductions in his head he knew it was most likely Grissom. He turned to see if he was right, and he was.

Grissom smiled a little half grin down at him. Nick started to try and smile, but instead he just started to cry. Gil immediately went to him and took him in his arms.

For some reason Nick felt like he could cry with him. Felt like he could let it all go. Not with anyone else. Everyone else on the team were like his best friends who he just didn't let out his emotions around. But Grissom... Grissom was different he was like a father. Nick knew how much he meant to the man... he only hoped Grissom knew how much he meant to him.

"I'M SORRY" Nick said loudly as he pulled away

Grissom hushed him some.

"It's okay Nicky... you're gonna be okay.."

Nick read the words on the screen and just shook his head as more tears fell.

"No i'm not... it won't be okay... I'm alone in this... nobody knows how I feel...and I'm scared...I'm..so scared."

Nick began sobbing again into his hands as he halfway huddled over in his bed. Grissom reached and held Nick with one hand on either shoulder straightening him up. As Nick opened back his eyes he noticed the tears in his supervisor's.

"Griss.." Nick said not understanding... never in his life had he seen Grissom fall apart or breakdown in anyway.

"You're not alone Nicky..."

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND?" Nick spoke loudly as he couldn't hear himself.

Grissom twiddled his thumbs and looked down as he spoke.. Nick reading intently every word typing itself magically across the screen.

"You're not alone, because I've been deaf too... I was born with a genetic disorder..."Grissom spoke slowly as to not lose total composure of himself. "I haven't lost it permanently ... yet... but from time to time it just goes from me.  
sometimes I'll be out in the field and someone will call to me and I don't answer... or i'll almost walk across the street when I shouldn't... it just keeps building up... and I know that one day it's going to go all together... unless they can find a cure.. something to stop it... something to help...but I know what it's like to feel helpless. To hear nothing but silence and think that life itself is over and has no more meaning, I know the pain..." Grissom finally looked up and grabbed a hold of Nick's hand.."You're not alone."

Nick didn't know what to say. He never knew that about Grissom.. as a matter of fact he didn't think anyone did.

"So... what do I do now?" Nick looked up for guidance.

"Well... when you get outta here I can start taking you to signing class, that's always a first step. and then.. who knows maybe you'll get it back by then." Grissom smiled and patted his hand and Nick grabbed a hold of it and gave a nod of approval with a smile to go along with it.

------- Hey everyone. thanks for the reviews so far. hope to have some more up soon. you won't want to miss it. 


	4. New Beginnings

New Beginnings

I'm so so so sorry for how long it has been since an update... i started a new job and have been extremely busy! i won't be able to write a whole lot, but at least continue it to some extent since i haven't really given you guys much of anything i will finish it oneday... i promise... sorry to keep you all waiting.

----- - ------ --- ---------------

The car pulled up and stopped right outside of 'Talking Hands Sign School'. Grissom looked over at Nick noting the discomfort on his face.

"you know Nicky.. it's still early... it's only been a week since you've gotten out of the hospital...we don't have to do this now if you're not ready?"

Nick read his handy computer and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"No... I have to face this thing sooner or later... I'm ready.."

With that Nicky took a deep breath and stepped out of the car into the cool morning air. He and Grissom walked side by side up the long concrete path to the double entrance doors. Nick threw a hand onto Grissom's arm.

"Thanks for doing all this man."

Grissom smiled and opened the door allowing Nick to enter first. He was immediately greeted by an ecstatic looking young woman who was moving her mouth and her hands a hundred miles an hour.

Nick smiled at her enthusiasm, but had to put up a hand to stop her from continuing until he turned his computer on.

"Sorry..." Was the first translation he read from her.

"it's okay.. I'm really new to this" he smiled a half crooked Texas smile back at her.

"welcome to Talking hands, I'm Jenny McCall..." She offered her hand out to Nick who gladly took it and introduced himself and Grissom.

"Well why don't we go fill out some paperwork and then we can get you started into a class as early as today, how does that sound?"

"sounds good... I want to be normal again.." Nick looked up at her and knew she understood.

---- ---------- -------- ------------------------------- ---------- ------------- --

Sara Sidle walked into the breakroom at the beginning of their shift. She noted Catherine on the couch trying to desperately down some coffee, and Warrick at the table with a half asleep face plastered to it.

"Did I miss some afternoon party with you two or something? You guys are lookin rough" She chuckled as she spoke

"No... Cath and I started taking afternoon classes at LVU... sign language class.. you know so we can talk with Nicky if we have to."

"Oh... so have you learned anything cool?"

"Yea... some stuff... but mainly just sleep depervation."

"Well... once you become proficient.. you'll have to clue me in" She smiled and smacked Warrick on the shoulder.

------------ -------- ------------- ------------ -------------------------- ------- ---

Three Weeks Later

Another day had come to a close. Nick could now have small and simple conversations with Griss without the assistance of his computer.They had just pulled up outside of his building for drop off, but Nick didn't get out of the car.

"What is it?" Grissom signed to Nick and spoke as Nick could read his lips a little bit.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore..." Nick turned his head and stared out the window as a fall rain poured down.

Grissom grabbed his younger CSI's arm to get his attention back in the car.

"Why the change?" Grissom really didn't know all that much what to say or what to ask.

"I've got to move on..." Nick's voice was beginning to get a little choked up "All this time I've just been trying to convince myself that everything would just be temporary. That I'd live this life and I'd take this class to fill my time until I could hear again. But the more days that go by... the more I'm reassured that this is my life...I'll never be able to go back to who I was...and I can't do this class anymore... I can't...I can't stay.."

Grissom was startled by the last statement and wasn't really sure what Nick meant by it.

Nick let a lone tear slowly slip down the side of his face.

"I already talked to my dad... I'm going home... back to Texas.I can't stay here... in Vegas... with you guys."

The words cut Grissom deeper than he would ever let anyone know... 'can't stay with you guys' ... it just suffocated his mind. He was losing a co-worker and whats more, he was losing a son... a close friend.

"Nicky you don't have to..."

Nicks hand up and sobbing tears cut him off.

"Yea I do... (sniff)... I can't live here where I'm gonna miss everything about my life. I can't see you guys coming to and from work and not be a part of it... I can't go watch football with Warrick and Greg and be okay not being able to really be there all the way... I can't live a lie that I'm okay... I can't stay here... I'm a changed person..so my life's gotta change... Griss?"

"yea?" Grissom whispered as he pent his saddness up inside.

"Tell Warrick and Greggo and Catherine and Sara... tell em' bye for me would ya... I ca...I can't say goodbye... It already hurts enough just to say it to you... Griss.. you were just my boss, the person who had control over me at work who I had to kiss up to, to get that level 3 CSI... but you've become so much more than that... you understand me, you care about me, even though you don't ever say it... Griss I know this isn't gonna be easy, but just know it isn't easy for me either... I'm sorry."

Nick flung open the car door slamming it behind and ran hard out into the pouring rain. Never looking back once as Grissom sat motionless in the drivers seat letting his emotions take hold and his tears fall the the rythmn of the rain. He didn't know what he would tell the team... he didn't even know what to tell himself, except to let go, Nicky was gone without a goodbye even... gone forever. What was left for even him now?

-- ---- ---- ----- New chapter hopefully won't be so long to update... should be up sometime this next week please R&R Thanks for everyone's patience! 


	5. Case Closed Final Chapter

- First off let me apologize a million times to you guys that I haven't given you any updates in a long long time

- First off let me apologize a million times to you guys that I haven't given you any updates in a long long time. Thank you all who have kept reading my story and are waiting for the end. I had a baby 6 months ago and am just now getting time to sit down and write again. I hope you like the ending. And again sorry for such a delay in getting it published.

Case Closed-

**(in the apt. of Nick Stokes) **

Nick finished stuffing his last shirt into the duffle bag on his bed; and with one quick zip, his life here in Vegas had come to a close.

His father was paying for professional movers to come in and pack up all of his belongings for him. This gave Nick the opportunity to leave as soon or as late as he wanted to. Nick, however, chose to leave now, hoping to avoid confrontation and arguments with his close friends. He would come back after emotions had settled down to say his goodbyes. And it wasn't like he couldn't ever see them again. They were just a short trip away.

As he made his way to the front door, bag in hand, he bumped into his accent table in the hallway, knocking over a picture frame.

He bent down to retrieve the fallen photograph and let a deep and sorrowful sigh release as he turned it over and saw the entire CSI team standing together for a picture from Catherine's Christmas party she threw three years ago.

Nick popped open the back of the frame, removed the cardboard back, and retrieved the photo from inside. He folded it up, put it in his pocket, and exited the apartment for the last time.

Climbing into the waiting cab out front, he didn't even once look back as if to say goodbye. His eyes were focused ahead, on starting over, Vegas never even existed to him as he rode away in silence in the rain.

**(CSI lab) **

"Hey Griss!" Catherine threw a hand gesture as she passed him in the hallway.

"Catherine… staff meeting, my office … two minutes… let the other's know" Grissom said as he turned and kept walking down the hall towards his office.

"Will do.."

………………….

Grissom sat behind his desk, glasses on, and holding a single letter in his hands. The rest of the team filed in and he looked up from his paper.

"What's up Griss?" Warrick was the first to speak

"I've called you all here because of this…" Grissom tossed the paper toward the front of his desk as his CSI's gathered around to read.

"This looks like a resignation letter Griss…." Catherine noted as she was in mid- read.. "Who…." But she cut herself off as she read the signature at the bottom of the page.

"WHAT" was all that Warrick managed to say as he too reached the end.

"I know" Grissom replied "I thought that maybe when he told me this afternoon that he was leaving that he must have been just stressed out. But it's the real deal… that's his letter…and he's gone."

"Gone… what do you mean gone? Just not working here or what?" Everyone could tell the frantic burst of emotion and adrenaline behind Warrick's voice as he questioned.

"When I dropped Nick off this afternoon at his apartment he said he was leaving and going back to Texas.." Warrick smacked the doorframe beside him and clenched his fists.

"He wasn't even going to say goodbye!" Warrick asked

"Nick said that he couldn't handle the goodbye's right now…" Grissom just shook his head slightly not knowing what else to say.

"Well he's gonna get one whether he likes it or not" Warrick quickly turned and started down the hallway.

"WARRICK!…..warrick wait!… I'll go with you." Grissom took a few quick strides and caught up with him. And they exited the building together.

**(back in the cab) **

The rain was coming down so hard that Nick could barely look out the window. The sun had just gone down and the world outside look like a dark black hole. Nothing but desert and rain on the back road they took to get to the highway.

Nick's thoughts were wandering far when all of a sudden the cab driver yelled an obscenity and jerked the wheel to the side rather aggressively while trying to slam on the brakes.

Nick braced himself, holding onto the door and seat in front of him as the driver lost control on the slickened road and the car careened down an embankment on the right. Nick wasn't sure it was over and as soon as the thought crossed his mind the cab went into a barrel roll, furthering them from the road and welcoming almost certain injury.

With one final flip onto the roof of the car, it came to a hault.

Shattered glass, fender pieces, and other entrails of the car laid scattered about in the dark. And the ringing… oh the ringing… constant and head throbbing.

Nick undid his seatbelt and fell to the roof of the car. This awful ringing in his ears. He knew he had to have at least a concussion. He laid in pain as water and mud started to enter into the cab. He wished he could stop the ringing in his ears, just hold his hands up and stop it… knowing nothing would come of it, but hoping for just a moment of mental comfort Nick threw his hands up and covered his ears cradling both sides of his head.

His heart skipped a beat… the ringing had been muffled. Was he going insane from shock and injuries or was this really real? He lifted the palm of his left hand off his ear and the ringing was magnified. Quickly he clamped it back down and it was muffled again.

Nick took in a few excited breathes and started smiling and laughing aloud. He could hear!

"I CAN HEAR!" He shouted with joy and let himself laugh with pleasure. Now back to the more important matter at hand though. Great that he could hear, but he was bleeding from a deep cut in his side and the muddy water was rising into the cab.

He knew he needed to check on the driver, he hadn't heard anything from him, but who could with that loud ringing going off. Nick managed to get himself into a sitting position and scooch toward the front.

"HEY BUDDY CAN YOU HEAR ME!" Nick screamed about the ringing, but no answer.

He slithered his bloody hand into the front and onto the neck of the driver who was tangled into the steering wheel. Realizing the ringing was actually a constant force being applied upon the horn. Pressing two fingers in, he felt for a pulse, and just as he was hoping against it, he could feel no life in this man any longer, he was dead.

Nick sat back taking a breath in. As the initial adrenaline was wearing off, he was beginning to feel the aches and pains in his body, and a shiver ran up and through him as he was now sitting in a puddle of muddy rain water.

'I've got to do something' he thought to himself.

He fumbled clumsily into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone.

"AGHH!" There wasn't enough reception to make a call. He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes; letting the negative thoughts begin to enter in.

Nobody would know he was gone until tomorrow when he didn't show up at his father's house, and by the time they found him he would already be dead from loss of blood or drowning as the steady flow of water continued to rise around him.

Nick was feeling more alone than ever now.

"God… are you playin tricks with me?" He looked up. "You give me back my hearing and now you're going to let me down out here all alone….. why! ….why?" Tears filled Nick's eyes and began to pour, he reached up and wiped away the snot that was running from his nose.

He put his hand inside his jacket to try and warm it up as his other hand was occupied holding the gouge in his left side. He felt something crinkle as his fingers searched for warmth. He pulled out the item…. he had forgotten about the picture he put in there earlier.

Nick smiled to see a familiar face in his time of need. If only they were really there and not just on a photograph. And it was then and there that he realized what a fool he had been to leave without saying goodbye.

They were his co-workers, his best friends for the past several years… they were like family and he had just consumed himself with self pity and ran away from them when all along they were trying to be there for him. Thinking about it now with a clear mind, he couldn't believe what a fool he had been not to say goodbye. And now he would never get that chance.

The thought of death re-entered into his mind and the picture was dropped beside him into the water as he let the inevitable fear consume him.

**(inside warrick's denali) **

The Denali came to a screeching hault outside of Nick's apartment complex.

"I'll go check inside and see if he's here.. you wait in the car" Grissom gave a firm order to Warrick who was hot headed to get on his buddies case.

"okay.." was all he said.

No more than three minutes later Grissom returned to the car.

"So?… did he leave already?" Warrick was impatient in his voice.

"No one answered the door and one of the neighbors said they saw him take a duffle bag and leave about an hour ago."

"Where was he going? Did he drive himself? Was he going to the airport?.." Warrick was about to raffle off even more questions when Grissom threw up a hand in surrender.

" I honestly don't know.. the neighbor did say that he got into a cab. Whether he's flying or driving is beyond me!"

"Well we've gotta figure out something…" Warrick pondered to himself.

"I've got it!" Grissom chimed in… "Call into dispatch and have them run a trace on his cell and we can track him on the GPS"

"Great idea Griss…" Warrick had hope back in his eyes and called it into dispatch.

They waited a few minutes and then it popped up on the screen. Nick's location flashed in bold bright green.

" That's odd…" Grissom stated. "He isn't moving… and according to the GPS he's just off the road there." Grissom pointed with his finger onto the screen.

"Nicky's in trouble.." Was all Warrick said and pressed on the gas to get there fast.

**(road where the cab strayed) **

The Denali smoothly handled the curves of the wet road in front of Warrick Brown. Grissom had a slight look of fear as he gripped onto the door and was hoping for Warrick to slow down about ten or twenty.

The vehicle quickly began to slow and Grissom peered out the front window and took in all that Warrick was seeing as well.

Massive tire marks were screeched across the road and disappeared off the embankment. And there was an awful loud blaring ring coming from the mountainside.

Warrick stopped his car completely and put his hazards on. Both he and Grissom were equipped with flashlights and quickly ran over and shone them down the hill.

They gasped as they took in the sight of the shredded cab laying on its roof at the bottom, and at the water rising quickly around it.

"I'll call an ambulance and put out some flairs" Grissom called as he ran back toward the denali.

Warrick knew it looked a bit dangerous and that he would probably regret this later, but he began making his way down the hill toward the wreckage. He had to get to Nick, to know he was alive. That he was okay.

Inside the cab Nick saw flash's of light crossing the cab from one end to the other. It looked like flashlights, and joy once again re-entered into his life.

"I'm saved.. I'm saved" he whispered to himself…"HELP!" HELP!" He tried to cry above the sound of the horn.

Warrick could faintly hear a voice cry out as he slid and stumbled and barely made his way to the bottom without hurting himself. He slid the last few inches into the side of the cab, covered with mud and eager to find his friend.

"NICKY!" Warrick cried as he got down, hands and knee's in the mud and flung/pried open the back door of the cab.

He saw Nick sitting up and huddled against the opposite side, shivering in the 4 inches of water around him and grasping his side. Warrick threw the flashlight onto his friend to be greeted with tears and a smile.

"Nick!" Warrick smiled back. Then realized that there was another person in the car.

"He's dead!" Nick shouted.

Warrick nodded in acknowledgment and reached up and pulled the dead cabby off of the steering wheel.

'Ahh… silence' Nick thought to himself.

"You okay…" Warrick started to ask and then remembered his friend was deaf so he began to sign him.

Nick took his free hand and grabbed Warrick's and stopped him though.

"I can hear…" He began to cry again "I can hear man!" He started to laugh and to cry tears of relief as his friend butted his head up against his own and pulled him in for a much needed hug.

They both could hear the approaching sirens and knew help wasn't far away. Warrick took his coat off and put it around his friend and then sat next to him in the cold wet cab knowing no matter how much he wanted to he couldn't get Nicky out all by himself and take him safely to the top of the hill. Help had arrived though and they both knew that he was going to be okay.

**(next day at the hospital) **

The elevator doors opened up for Grissom and he stepped out onto the third floor of the hospital. He saw the rest of his team walking toward him in the lobby area, smiling and talking with eachother.

"Hey Griss" Warrick smiled and nodded toward him. "We all just finished sayin hey to Nicky… about to go grab a bite to eat… wanna join us?"

"Ugh… maybe… in a minute. I've got some unfinished business to take care of first." He smiled and tapped an envelope that he had been holding in his hand.

"okay well we'll wait downstairs for you."

…………….. ………….. ……….

Grissom opened up the door to room 260B. Nick turned his view from the sunshine in his window and smiled up at his boss from the hospital bed.

"Hey Griss… was wonderin if you were gonna stop on by sometime.. I noticed you didn't come with the rest of the guys" Nick gave a smirk and looked down at his hands. "Look Griss… I…. I need to ask you something."

And before Nick could get another word in Grissom handed him the envelope.

"Whats thi…"

"Just open it." Grissom replied and made his way back toward the door to leave.

Nick smiled and felt the warmth of life re-enter into his body as he held in his hand his resignation letter.

"Somehow it just didn't make it to the proper office…" Grissom smiled and opened the door to leave.

"Thanks Griss" Nick said with a slight choke in his voice. " I don't think anyone else could've gotten me through all this like you have. I'll never forget" Nick smiled and tore the letter as Grissom exited through the door. "I'll never forget becoming your friend either Nicky" Griss whispered underneath a smile. And he turned and walked back toward the elevator's to leave.

**THE END! **… hope you guys enjoyed. Sorry if wasn't up to your expectations. It's the best I could do so I hope you didn't end disappointed or anything like that. Reviews and criticism are most welcome. Try not to be too nasty though  … you guys are a pretty good crowd of readers though. Thanks for reading!


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